Chicken War Updates and Cheese
Farm News
We had so many empathetic email responses to last week's chicken-killing varmint news, that I feel obliged to provide you with an update. One of our neighbors who grew up in this area and is VERY familiar with all the creatures that inhabit our environs came over last weekend to advise us on how to catch the chicken predator(s). Like a CSI expert, he took stock of the "crime scene" and deduced that our culprit was likely a raccoon. He told us how to bait our trap, and sure enough, the next day, there was a raccoon in the trap. Last night we re-baited the trap (with some leftover steak no less), and again, another raccoon. We know the war is not over yet, however, so we continue to put our hens into cat carriers at night. They have become used to the ritual, and really don't protest much.
Farmers' Markets
After last weekend's marathon of four farmers' markets, we are slacking off a bit and attending only TWO this Saturday, June 16th-Urbana and Green City Market. We've got a great line up of summer cheeses for you:
- Plenty of fresh chevre--either plain, herbs de Provence, or cracked pepper
- Fresh goat milk ricotta--perfect to enjoy with some local honey and fresh berries that are showing up at the markets
- Sheep milk feta-if you haven't had our feta on a salad, you don't know what you're missing!
- An assortment of bloomy rind cheeses including Angel Food, Black Goat, Black Sheep, Krotovina and maybe Ewe Bloom-perfect for enjoying with some crusty bread and nice cold crisp summer white wine
- Roxanne--our tangy, nutty and buttery, semi-hard raw sheep milk cheese--makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich with some sauteed arugula or spicy greens
- Caprino Romano--wonderful shaved or grated on some grilled veggies
Urbana Market goers will have a treat of fresh Italian Dandelion Greens (Chicoria)--no, these are not the greens with yellow flowers growing in your lawn. They are wonderful sauteed in some olive oil with a couple of smashed cloves of garlic--finish with a shaving of Caprino Romano -YUMMY!
Gelato Flavors for the week (Urbana only):
- Vanilla
- Chocolate
- Margot's Mint
- Strawberry Gelato
- Gianduja (Hazelnut-chocolate)
- Hazelnut
- Honey Chevre
- Honey Lavender
- Chocolate Mint
- Rhubarb Sorbetto
- Strawberry Sorbetto
